Ah, the music business. Like all business, it can get a little hairy, especially where art meets commerce.
Letters of Note unearthed this old letter from Warner Brothers Records executive Joe Smith to Danny Rifkin, co-manager of Grateful Dead in 1967. In it, Smith expresses dismay at the band’s unprofessional studio behavior.
I love Smith says Phil was the main problem in the studio. The guy’s had an attitude for a long time! But he plays amazing bass, so it’s mostly all good.
I also love how someone from the band, maybe Phil, wrote “Fuck You” on the letter. Legend has it that the letter was then returned to Smith.